Blue Light Therapy for Fighting Acne

prowellnessJanuary 1st, 2018

Blue light therapy is a modern discovery in the fight against acne. Unlike other acne treatment solutions such as medicated creams and expensive dermatological procedures, blue light therapy for acne is more effective, affordable, convenient and free from side effects.

Acne light therapy has typically only been available in a clinical setting, such as a spa or dermatologists office, but a recent up rise in at home treatment systems is making blue light therapy available to the masses. Tabletop lamp like devices such as the “Blue Acne Light” from BlueAcneLight.com use a powerful multi-led bulb that emits light in various spectrums that have been proven to destroy acne and heal skin. The same light spectrums used in the spa and dermatologists machines are offered in a more compact, convenient and more affordable format. Most at home blue light therapy solutions range between $200 and $500. If you compare that to the cost of a spa or dermatologists treatment, which can be anywhere from $40 to $150 per treatment, over a course of 6-8 recommended treatment, these devices easily pay for themselves during the first treatment campaign and can be used if breakouts occur in the future.

Unlike many so called “acne treatment solutions”, blue light therapy is clinically proven effective by independent testing done by the British Journal of Dermatology and has been approved as an effective form of acne treatment by the FDA. It has long been known, and you have likely experienced that when you expose your skin to the sun for a moderate period of time, whether it is naturally or via a tanning bed, acne seems to improve or clear up. This is because of the natural blue light spectrum that the sun provides, even though you don’t see it as blue. The disadvantage to sun exposure and tanning is of course the artificial aging of your skin, not to mention the risk of skin cancer. Blue light therapy focuses specifically on the spectrums outside of the UV range that kill acne bacteria.

It has been proven that blue light in the 405nm-420nm spectrum actually kills Propionibacterium Acnes (P. acnes) bacteria. P. acnes bacteria create tiny molecules called porphryins. When porphyrins are exposed to blue light they produce free radicals that kill the bacteria that cause inflammatory acne. It sounds quite complex, but it’s a wonderfully simple solution.

Much like blue light, red light also has natural healing properties. Red light effectively speeds up the skins natural healing process and prevents scaring. The root of red lights healing properties is that when red light is absorbed into the skin it increases blood and oxygen flow. This increased blood and oxygen flow allow scars and blemishes to disappear much quicker than normal. The higher end home treatment Blue Light Therapy solutions on the market combine the acne fighting powers blue light with the healing powers of the red light, and effectively become a “destroy and heal” solution, exactly what it takes to clear up problematic acne.